Method of distributing liquid.



A. G. ENEAS,

METHOD OF DISTRIBUTING LIQUID. APPLICATION FILED APR. 29. 19M.

Patented Sept. 4, 1917.

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an area arenas a rmen AUBREY'G. ENEAS, OF WINTHROP, MASSACHUSETTS,ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASS5IGN- MEETS, TO SPRAY ENGINEERING COMPANY, OFBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A COR- PORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

METHGD 0F DISTRIBUTING LIQUID.

Patented se a, rear.

Original application filed December 27, 1909, Serial No. 535,129.Divided and this application filed April 29,

To all whom it may concern:

folk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Methodsof Distributing Liquid, of which the following de scription, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification,like/characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This application is a division of the invention disclosed in my parentapplication Serial No. 535,129, filed December 27, 1909.

This invention relates to methods of distributing fluid, preferably aliquid, over an extended area. In order that the principle of theinvention may be readily understood, I shall proceed to describe thebest mode'or manner known to me for carrying into effect my methodandone form of nozzle by which my said method'may be practised.

In the accompanying drawings,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a spray'nozzle by which I may practicemy method;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the inner liquid guiding member thereof;

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section taken through the inner andouter chambers of the nozzle shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the inner liquid guiding member.

In accordance with and in carrying out the method of my invention, Iform and distribute over an extended area a spray composed of water orother liquid and which is, in the most effective embodiment thereof, ofsubstantially uniform homogeneity throughout. Such spray is capable ofuse in many and varied relations. among other uses, to

which I am .in no wise limited in the prac- Serial No. 835,221.

guishers; and for many other uses not herein necessary to enumerate. Ishall proceed to describe one form of means for practising my processand one way in which a flaring spray of substantially uniformhomogeneity in cross section may be secured.

In carrying out my method, I preferably project the liquid, of whatevernature, in a flaring spray, with the central portion thereof directlyflaring and the circumferential portion thereof flaring along linesextending circumferentially of but eccentric the axis of the centralportion, the spray mass being modulated from one to the other in theintervening or between zones. Preferably in efi'ecting this method, Isimultaneously produce both rotary and non-rotary jets, and mix, mingleor blend said jets within a confined space, from which I cause the saidmixed, mingled or blended mass to issue in a spray of substantiallyuniform homogeneity. v

Preferably the non-rotary jet is a central or axial one and the rotaryjet or jets surround the same and are caused transversely to impingeupon the axial or central jet with the result that said jets aresuiiiciently mixed to produce a spray of the character described "hendischarged from the confined space. In carrying out my method, Ipreferably provide a chamber in advance of the jet producing means, thesaid chamber being so shaped and of such volume as to permit aneffective mixture or blending of the jets before they issue in sprayform from said chamber. fected by so shaping the chamber or sopositioning an abutment therein as to cause impact thereon of one ormore of the surrounding jets and rebound thereof, with the result of amixing orblending of the jets within the confined space.

In the drawings, I have shown the preferred form of nozzle forpractising my method, the said nozzle being represented as comprising ashell or casing 1 constituting an outer mixing chamber and having anentrance '2 for the water or other liquid to be sprayed anda dischargeorifice 3. The nozzle may be suitably connected to a hose or other meansfor conveying the fluid to be sprayed. For this purpose, I have hereinrepresented the shell or casing as interiorly threaded at 4. v Withinthe shell I form or position an inner guiding member 5, hereinrepresented as detachable from the shell 1 and as exteriorly threaded at6, so that it may be screwed into position in the shell, thus formingthe mixing chamber 10. Obviously, the method is not dependent upon theparticular form of inner guiding memher 5 or the means for positioningor forming the same within the shell or casing;

The inner member5 may be constructed in i any suitable manner to producethe desired results. In order. to effect the spraying referred to, Ipreferably so construct the inner liquid guiding member 5 that it willdischarge or direct into the mixing chamber v10 a plurality of jets. Forthis purpose I may and preferably do employ a single central jet and oneor more exterior jets which, if a plurality thereof be employed,surround the central jet. Preferably at least one of these divergentjets is a whirling one, said whirling jet being given a rotating orwhirling character in any suitable manner. While the jets that are mixedwithin the confining wall may be otherwise varied or altered within thebroad scope and purpose of my invention, the latter being to cause thebreaking up of the stream-like character of the liquid, and the thoroughmixing of constituent articles thereof within the nozzle, and to e ectthe issuance thereof'ina spray of substantially uniformhomogeneity intransverse section.

In accordance with my method, I distribute liquid over an extended areaby introducing the liquid in a stream into a nozzle comprising a chamberformed by "a fixed, surrounding, confining wall; breaking up the streamand finally in effecting the remixing of the constituent particles ofthe stream within said chamber, thereby effectively breaking up thestream-like character of the liquid and remixing its constituents; andcompelling issuance of said mixed constituent particles from saidchamber in. a flaring spray of substantially uniform homogeneity intransverse section. I

In thenozzle herein illustrated, the central jet is produced oy thecentral passage 7 formed in the liquid guiding member 6 and receivingthe water or other liquid .or fluid directed thereinto under pressureand from any suitable source. Surrounding the cen-' tral straightpassage 7 are a plurality of divergent curved passages 8 formed betweenthe wall of the central passage 7 and the exjets. It is clearly to beunderstood that terior wall of the member 5. These passages 8 likewisereceive liquid or fluid under pressure from the same source and impart awhirling or rotating action to the jets pass ing therefrom. The jetspassing through the passages 7 and 8 are primarily of equal velocity,but the velocity of'the jets passing through the passages 8 is reducedbelow that .of the central jet, owing to the contact of said surroundingjets with the inner wall of the mixing chamber 10. The jets passinthrough said passages 7 and 8 converge an meet within the mixing chamber10, the tapering formation of this chamber 10 compelling the mixing ofsaid jets. The impinging of the jets upon each other thoroughly breaksthem up and compels a thor ough mixing and distribution of the'constituent parts thereof, so that as the liquid emerges from thenozzle, it spreads in a spray cone whose apex is the orifice of thenozzle, the spraybeing substantially uniformly and thoroughlydistributed throughout the entire cone.

In other spraying nozzles with which I am familiar, the. spray isdischarged in a cone, Y

but the spray is substantially confined to elements of the cone, so.thatin reality the spray emerges in a sheet of conical form, it being alsocommon to provide a central jet discharged unmixed with the conicalsheet but intended for ornamental effect merely. By my method I producea spray so uniformly distributed that were sections taken through thecone to which I have referred, they would exhibit a substantiallyuniform distribution of the spra throughout such section. This uniformdistribution is due to the mixing compelled by the jets 7, 8 and thedistribution in all directions resulting therefrom. I am aware thatwhirling members have been positioned within nozzles and pro vided withpassages for the liquid to be sprayed, but the result of suchconstruction is to impart merely a centrifugal action to the spray sothat in eflect merely a shell or conical sheet is formed.

If desired, I may provide means for introducing air into the mixingchamber 10, in order to compel a more thorough intermingling of thejets. While this may be done in any suitable manner, I have hereinrepresented air passages 9 formed in the walls of the member 5 andadmitting external air into the interior of the mixing chamber 10.

Each air passage 9, if employed, is preferably of the general angularcharactershown, so as to introduce the air along radial lines and todischarge the same substantially axially and at points surrounding thecentral jet issuing through the passage 7 It willbe apparent that withinthe mixing chamber 10, a partial vacuum is formed be tween the jetsissuing between the passa es 7 and 8. Owingto the formation of thispartial vacuum, the external air is sucked in through the passages 9,and although entering at atmospheric pressure, it has greater pressureimparted thereto by the jets issuing through the passages 7 and 8. It isevident that the external air may be admitted, if

at all, in any suit-able manner, and that if desired air primarily undergreater than atmospheric pressure may be utilized. It will be apparentthat the air when em loyed in any form of my invention, tends rther toatomize the fluid at its exit from the nozzle by reason of the expansionof the air after its discharge from the nozzle.

It will be evident that the mixing chamber isrelatively large comparedto the orifice through which the fluid escapes from the nozzle and thatthe chamber is of sufficient volume and so shaped as to permit andefiect blending or mixing of the jets before issuance from the nozzle.In that form of nozzle herein illustrated, the chamber is so shaped asto direct the rotating jet or jets across the path of the axial jetwithin the chamber before thejets issue from the nozzle,-thereby tocause said rotating jet or jets to be sprayed by said axial jet, so asto increase the spraying angle and form a full spray. In that form ofnozzle herein shown, the cross sectional area of the mixing chamberexceeds the combined cross sectional area of the axial and surroundingjets.- It will 'be apparent from the foregoing description that inaccordance with my method, the fluid of the jets is mixed or blendedwithin a confined chamber, and that the mixed mass issues therefrom in aspray, which is of substantially uniform homogeneity throughout.

Having thus described mymethod and one form of means by which thesamemay be practised, I desire it to be understood that although specificterms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense andnot for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being setforth in the following claims. 7

1. That method of distributing liquid over an extended area whichconsists in simultaneously producing fanilmer jet and one or moresurrounding jets, in causingthe mixture of said jets within a confinedspace,

and the issuance of said jets from said space in a spray of uniformhomogeneity.

2. That method of distributing liquid over an extended area whichconsists in mixing a plurality of jets within a fixed, surrounding,confining wall and in compelling issuance of said mixed jets from saidwall in a flaring spray of substantially uniform homogeneity.

3. That method of distributing liquid over an extended area whichconsists in mixing an inner and one or more surrounding jets within afixed, surrounding, confinin wall and compelling issuance of said mixedjets from said wall from said confined s ace in a flaring spray ofsubstantially uniform homogeneity.

l. That method of distributing liquid from an extended area whichconsists in mixing a plurality of jets within a fixed surroundingconfining wall, in introducing air within said confining wall and incompelling issuance of said mixed jets from said wall in a flaring sprayof substantally uniform Y the stream and finally in effecting theremixing of the constituent particles of the stream within said chamber,thereby efiectively breaking up the stream-like character of the liquidand remixing its constituents; and compelling issuance of said mixedconstituent particles from said chamber-in a flaring spray ofsubstantially uniform homogeneity in transverse section.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUBREY G. ENEAS.

Witnesses:

F. IRENE CHANDLER, ROBERT H. Kammnn.

